Switch throwing and locking apparatus



(No Model.)

E. P. OWEN. SWITCH THROWING AND LOCKING APPARATUS. No. 604,782. Patented May 31,1898.

\\\\\\\\\w| lli D a A \P W/TNESSES: /NVE/VTOH Miren Erarns a'rnwr Ottieni..

ELERSON PROOTOR OWEN, OF MANCHESTER, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO MORTON RIDDLE, JR., OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA.

SWITCH THROW/ING AND LOCKHNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,782, dated May 31, 1898. Application ilecl August 11, 1897.l Serial No. 647,920. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELnnsoN Pnoo'ron OWEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Manchester, in the county of Chesterfield and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Switch Throwing and Locking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for throwing and locking railroadswitches; and the object of my improved apparatus is to provide a simple and effective device whereby a railroad-switch may be thrown and securely locked in position, either when set to main line or to branch line, in such a manner as to prevent its displacement by a passing train or other accidental cause.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication, and in which like letters refer to like parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device, showing its parts in such positions that the switch-bar is at one end of its travel and securely locked. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line fc y in Fig. l and showing the switch-bar locked in one of its positions. Fig. 3 is a similar cross-section, but showing the parts in a different position, the switch-bar being unlocked and at about the center of its travel. Fig. 4t is a plan on a smaller scale, showing the manner of using my device in connection with a railroad-switch.

In Fig. l, Ais a slotted plate or frame havthe usual connections D, which extend to the switch-lever, and sliding with a longitudinal motion in the bed-plate, frame, or support P, the latter having grooves E or tongues or friction-rollers or ball-bearings for the proper guiding of the slotted plate A. The slotted plate A has a slot designated generally as B. This slot B has the part b', extending from the point h4 to the point b5 in a straight line parallel with the direction of the motion of the plate A. From the point b5 the slot B extends in a diagonal direction, as at b2, to a point h6, a distance equal to the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle, the base of which, as represented by the dotted line U W, is equal to the travel of the switch-bar S. The part h3 of the slot B, extending from the point h6 to the point bi, is similar to the part b', and it also extends in a straight line parallel with the direction of the motion of the plate A.

Attached to or a part of the slotted plate A is the slotted plate F, having a slot designated generally as O. The slot O has the part o extending, from the point 0LL to the point 05, in an upwardly -inclined direction a distance equal to the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle, of which the base (represented by the dotted line T Z) is equal, or thereabout, in length to the part b of the slot B in the plate A, and the other side of which rightangled triangle is equal to the distance through which it is necessary to raise or to lower the locking-bolt l'I in order to release or to lock the switch-bar S. From the point 05 the slot O in the plate F extends, as shown at 02, to a point oG in a direction parallel to the surface of the plate A, the length of the part o2 of the slot O being equal, or thereabout, to the length of the side of the imaginary right-angled triangle, the hypotenuse of which is formed by the part b2 of the slot B of the plate A. From the point 06 the slot O in the plate F extends, as shown at 03, in a downwardly-inclined direction, and this part o3 should be equal in length and in inclination, but in a reversed direction, to the part o of the slot O.

S is the switch-bar, connected in the usual manner by one end with the movable switchrails J (see Fig. 4) and sliding with an endwise motion in suitably-formed grooves or other bearings in the bed-plate, frame, or support P. Attached to or a part of the switchbar S is a pin or journal I, carrying a frictionroller O, which operates neatl;T in the slot B of the plate A.

Q and R (see Figs. 2 and 3) are holes or sockets in the switch-bar S and adapted to receive the end of the locking-bolt H and a distance apart from one another equal to the full travel of the switch-bar S, as regulated by the form of the slot B of the plate A. The locking-bolt II, which has a pin or journal M, which in its turn has a friction-roller G operating neatly in the slot O of the plate F, is caused to move in an upward or in a downward direction or to remain stationary, according to the movement of the plate F and IOC) according to the position which the frictionroller G, which is attached to the locking-bolt H by means of the pin or journal M, occupies in the slot O of the plate F. For the proper guiding of the locking-bolt H it is caused to operate in the guide-bracket L, which has in one side of it a vertical slot V for the proper guiding of the pin or journal M, which, forming a part of or being attached to the lockingbolt H and having the friction-roller G, is the means by which the slot O in the plate F operates upon the locking-bolt H.

Assuming now that the apparatus is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the switchbar S is at the outer end of its stroke, the movable switch-rails J (see Fig. 4) being set to the main line X. The friction-roller C, which by means of the pin or journal I is connected with the switch-bar S, is now at one of the ends b4 of the slot B of the plate A. The friction-roller G, which by means of the pin or journal M is connected with the lockingbolt H, is now at the lowest point 0L1 of the corresponding end of the slot O of the plate F. Consequently the locking-bolt H is at its lowest position, and (passing through the hole or socket Q in the switch-bar S, and, for the sake of additional strength and resistance tobending or shearing strain, into the hole or recess N in the lower part of the bed-plate, frame, or support P) thus securely locks in position the switch-bar S and, by means of the suitable connections, the movable switchrails J.

Assume now that the operator wishes to change the position of the movable switchrails J from the position in which they now are and to set and lock them in position for the side track or branch line Y. He operates the switch-leverin such a manner as, through and by means of the usual connections and the rod D, to move the plate A, and consequently the plate F, in the direction indicated by the solid arrow. Following this movement of the plates A and F, owing to the fact that the part b of the slot B of the plate A (which part b' now embraces the friction-roller C and the pin or journal I, which are attached to the switch-bar S) is straight and is parallel with the direction of the motion of the plate A it will impart no motion by means of the friction-roller C and the pin or journal I to Vthe switch-bar S; but during the time that the friction-roller C is passing from the point b4 to the point b-that is, along the part b of the slot B-the friction-roller G will be passing from the point o4 tothe point o5-that is, along the part 0-of the slot O of the pla-te F. Now since the part o of the slot O is (starting from the point 04) upwardly inclined the friction-roller G will, in passing along the part o of the slot O, be caused to rise, and since the friction-roller G is, by means of the pin or journal M, connected with the lockingbolt H the said locking-bolt H will also and at thesame time be caused to rise and a distance (depending upon the properinclination of the part o of the slot O and upon the length of the locking-bolt H) suficient to withdraw the locking-bolt H from the hole or recess N and from the hole or socket Q' in the switchbar S, thus freeing the latter. Now as the plates A and F continue to move in the direction indicated by the solid arrow the friction-roller G will pass along the part o2 of the slot O-that is, from the point o5 to the point 0G; but since this part o2 of the slot O is parallel with the line of direction of the motion of the plates A and F and also parallel with the plane of the plate A the friction-roller G, and consequently the locking-bolt H, will not be caused to rise or to fall, and will thus leave the switch-bar S free to move with an endwise motion during thev passing of the said friction-roller G along the part o2 of the slot O but while the friction-roller G is passing along the part oz-that is, between the point 05 and the point o-of the slot O of the plate F the friction-roller C will be passing along the part bQ-that is, between the'point b5 and the point bG-of the slot B of the plate A, and since the part b2 of the slot B of y the plate A is obliquelylinclined to the line of the direction of the motion of the plate A the friction-roller O,and consequently the switchbar S, will be caused to move in the direction of the dotted arrow and a distance equal to the base (shown by the dotted line U W) of the right-angled triangle, the hypotenuse of which is formed by the part b2 of the slot B, which distance is, as we know, that through which it is required that the switch-bar S shall move in order that the movable switch-rails J may be changed from one position to another-as, for instance, from the position set to main line7 to the position set to branch line. The switch-bar S has now completed its movement, and the hole or socket'R in the switch-bar S will be immediately beneath the locking-bolt H. The plates A and F still continue their motion in the direction indicated by the solid arrow. The friction-roller O will now pass along the part b3 of the slot B, which part b3, being similar to and having the same direction as the part b', will consequently not confer any endwise motion upon the switch-bar S by means of the frictionroller C and the pin or journal I; but the friction-roller G, which is connected with the locking-bolt H, will now be passing along the part OS-that is, from the point o6 to the point o7-of the slot O of the plate F, and since the part o3 of the slot O is (starting from the point o6) inclined downwardly the friction-roller G, and consequently the lockingbolt H, will be caused to descend and a distance (depending upon the proper inclination of the part o3 of the slot O and upon the length of the locking-bolt H) sufficient to enable the locking-bolt H to pass through the hole or socket R in the switch-bar S and, if required, into the hole or recess N in the bedplate, frame, or support P, thus securely locking the switch-bar S, and consequently the IOO IIO

movable switch-rails J ,in their neW positionthat is, set to branch line Y.

In order to return the movable switch-rails .I to their original position of set to main line and to lock them in that position, it is only necessary for the operator to operate the switch-lever in a direction opposite to that in which he previously operated it in order to place the movable switch-rails J in the position set to branch line. Upon his doing so the plates A and F Will move in a direction opposite to that indicated by the solid arrow, and the reverse of the movements Which We have followed out and explained above will take place.

Having now' described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is-

l. In a switch throwing` and locking device the combination of a hanged plate having a slot which engages a pin in a switch-bar, and which When operated shall by means of the slot and pin cause the switch-bar to operate the switch-rails, and having` in its flanged portion another slot which engages a pin which is directly attached to a locking-bolt, and Which when operated shall cause the locking-bolt to enter a perforation or hole in the said switch-bar, and so to lock the switchrails, a switch-bar having perforations adapted to receive a locking-bolt, a locking-bolt, and a frame to guide the slotted plate and also to guide the locking-bolt, substantially as set forth.

2. In a switch throwing and locking device the combination of the lianged plate A F, having slots B and O, the switch-bar S, having the perforation Q, and R, the locking-bolt H and the frame P L, having the slots E and V, all as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Richmond city, in the State of Virginia, this 6th day of August, A. D. 1897.

ELERSON PROOTOR OWEN.

Vitnesses:

JOHN OBRIEN, EUGENE JONES. 

